[stylist] recent reads

Tue Oct 26 13:59:34 UTC 2010

Just the author of this read will tell you where I'm at politically, but 
that's life.  "Rescuing Sprite" is a story about a dog and how he made it 
into the hearts of his family.  You wouldn't expect one of the most 
brilliant Conservative minds alive to spend his time writing about his dog, 
but this book brings out the sensitive, loving side of a man who has spent 
his life arguing before the Supreme Court, writing conservative best sellers 
and hosting one of the fastest growing radio shows in history.  I loved the 
book.  I'm a dog person at heart.  Judith
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jacobson, Shawn D" <Shawn.D.Jacobson at hud.gov>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 9:00 AM
Subject: Re: [stylist] recent reads


> Chris
>
> Thanks for sharing.  I suspect that people who are libertarians (I used to 
> be in college when I was going through school for the blind rebellion) 
> like this book a lot more than people who are not.  When I read it, I 
> enjoyed it although I will grant you that it is long.  I recently read a 
> short story by Louis L'amour, Morano of the dry country, that covers 
> Rand's salient points in 30 pages or so.  I also read The Grapes of Wrath 
> in high school and found it interesting.  I've yet to read The Jungle; I 
> will have to get to it one of these days.  My political take on things now 
> is that we can thank the industrialists for the high standard of living we 
> have today, and we should thank the little people to.
>
> I think my worst slog through a long novel experience was reading Chicasta 
> by Doris Lessing.  She may have won a Nobel prize for literature, but she 
> could still have learned to tell stories from writers such as Andre 
> Norton.
>
> Anyway, the best and good reading.
>
> Shawn
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> Behalf Of Chris Kuell
> Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 8:30 AM
> To: jsorozco at gmail.com; Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: [stylist] recent reads
>
> Hey Bridgit (and others),
>
> Below are the last few books I've read and a little about them.
>
> chris
>
> Great Expectations by Charles Dickens  (1861)
> A friend read this recently, and it prompted me to re-read it. I have to
> admit, I think I enjoyed it second-time round more than the first, because 
> I'm
> reading it as a writer, and since I already knew the story, I paid 
> attention
> to Dickens's writing, his word choice, his style-which is brilliant.
>
> What The Dog Saw and Other Essays by Malcolm Gladwell  (2009)
> Only Gladwell could write a truly fascinating article about the inventor 
> of
> the Ronco temp-o-matic oven, as well as the vegetable chop-o-matic slicer
> and dozens of other such products. The title essay is about this dog
> whisperer in California, and details what's happening in a dog's brain to
> explain why they react so peacefully with the dog whisperer.
>
> The Help by Kathryn Stockett  (2009)
> I know this is all the rage in book groups these days, but even so, I 
> think
> it was fantastic. A well-crafted novel about black 'help' (essentially
> low-paid servants) in Mississippi in 1963. It's creatively told, and
> although some people didn't like the ending (everything isn't neatly 
> wrapped
> up) I thought it was perfect.
>
> Unaccustomed Earth by Jumpa Lahiri  (2008)
> A collection of short stories about relationships between people of 
> Bengali
> descent. It's amazing how much she can write on this same topic-she's 
> great
> at inventing characters.
>
> The Awakening and Other Stories by Kate Chopin (1899)
> I know the significance of this short novel, how ahead of it's time it 
> was,
> how bold for a woman writer, etc. But, I found it dreadfully dull. 
> Theodore
> Dreiser's, Sister Carrie, which was published at the same time and covers
> essentially the same topic (a woman having casual affairs) but does it in 
> a
> more readable way.
>
> Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely  (2009)
> This novel sought to explore the relationship between a heart transplant
> recipient and the husband of the woman who was hit by a truck so she could
> donate the heart. The plot and writing were good most of the time, but
> overly written at other times. It's obvious that the writer did his 
> research
> on immunosuppressant drugs, and at times it sounds like he plagiarized 
> from
> those tiny pieces of paper that come with drugs, detailing the many 
> reasons
> why you shouldn't really take this drug.
>
> Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand  (1957)
> I forced myself to slog through this behemoth, and I'd have to say it 
> wasn't
> worth it. Now I know where libertarianism was born. I did have a lively
> debate with my son's new dorm mate, Josh, who loved it. I recommended he
> read, The Jungle, to get a worker's view on the god-likeness of the early
> 20th century industrialists. The Grapes of Wrath also gives a glimpse at 
> the
> 'little people', and unlike Atlas Shrugged, is superbly written.
>
> A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson (1998)
> A hilarious account of Bryson and his fat, former alcoholic/drug addict
> friend's attempt to hike the entire 2,100 mile Appalachian Trail. One
> memorable nugget: They say not to run if you encounter a grizzly bear. 
> Screw
> that. My advice is to run like hell if you encounter a grizzly-it will 
> give
> you something to do with the last seven seconds of your life.
>
>
>
>
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